NetBeans™ IDE 4.

1
Enabling and Accelerating Development of Java™
software for Desktop, Web Tier, Web Services, J2EE™
and Mobile Application Development

< The full-featured NetBeans Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is an open

source, multiplatform, zero cost, 100% Pure Java™ IDE that now includes support for
Java™ 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE™) 1.4 technology. This enables you to build rich
client, Web tier, Web service, mobile, and J2EE applications. With an Ant-based project manage-
ment system and a performance profiler, find out what more and more users already know —
NetBeans software is the one IDE you need to develop Java applications.

Highlights
• Create mobile, desktop, Web, and
enterprise applications with a
single tool.
• Superior out-of-box experience —
no hunting for plug-ins.
• 100% Pure Java™, open source,
free, supports Java™ standards.
• Simplifies support for J2EE™ 1.4
including Enterprise JavaBeans™
and Web services. Developers can
target Tomcat, Sun Java System
Application Server, JBoss,
WebSphere, and WebLogic.
• Best mobility support: Only IDE
with an easy-to-use solution to the
device fragmentation problem.
• Project System: The first IDE to
base its project system entirely on
Apache Ant.
NetBeans IDE is available at www.netbeans.org
as a free download for the platforms develop-
ers need most — Microsoft Windows, Linux,
the Solaris™ Operating System (OS), and Mac
OS X. Since the IDE itself is written in the Java
language, you can run it on any operating
system for which a Java 2 Platform, Standard
Edition (J2SE™) Java Developer Kit (JDK™) version
1.4.2, version 5.0, or later is available.
NetBeans 4.1 is more than just a development
platform. It delivers tightly integrated deploy-
ment and debugging of Web and enterprise
applications on Apache Tomcat 5 and the Java
System Application Server 8.1 (which is the
J2EE 1.4 Reference Implementation), improving
developer productivity through the optimiza-
tion of the develop, test, and deploy cycle.
Additional support is included for JBoss,
WebSphere, and WebLogic. NetBeans IDE also
offers a powerful GUI builder that allows for
rapid creation of rich clients using the Java
Foundation Classes (JFC/Swing).
What makes NetBeans IDE special
When you use the NetBeans IDE, you enjoy
the benefits of a top-shelf IDE, without the
negatives associated with moving develop-
ment to a single environment.
Unlike other IDEs, NetBeans IDE does not
force you to use a build structure with project
metadata that must be reverse engineered if
you want to build the project outside of the
IDE. Instead, NetBeans IDE builds on existing
open standards to help automate the develop-
ment process without locking you in. NetBeans
IDE bases its project system on Apache Ant,
the de facto standard build tool for Java appli-
cations. The project metadata produced by
the NetBeans IDE is in the form of XML and
properties files that can be used by Ant out-
side of the IDE. This means that developing a
project in NetBeans IDE does not lock you into
NetBeans IDE.
You can use NetBeans IDE to create large
projects with sophisticated build parameters.
Where such projects are already in place, you
can adapt NetBeans IDE to work with them
without necessarily changing the project’s
structure. If you are generally more comfort-
able with command line tools because of their
transparency and the level of control they
allow over your projects, NetBeans IDE could
become the first IDE that you love.
NetBeans IDE is also consistently ahead of the
curve in providing support for new and evolving
standards, such as the new language features
that were introduced in J2SE 5.0, and new
specifications in all areas of Java technology.
2 Data Sheet NetBeans™ IDE 4.1
NetBeans IDE provides an astonishing array of
features right out of the box. A fully featured
J2EE 1.4 development environment is built in.
All the editor, debugger, and project support
that is available for Java application develop-
ment is also available for J2EE development.
In addition, NetBeans IDE provides access to
the Java BluePrints Solutions Catalog and the
ability to install them as NetBeans projects, so
the IDE becomes a learning tool.
The Mobility Pack enables J2ME developers to
design, develop, and debug Java 2 Platform,
Micro Edition (J2ME™) MIDlets from within
NetBeans IDE. Providing one of the most pow-
erful sets of mobile development tools, the
Mobility Pack includes the J2ME Wireless Toolkit
(WTK), a flow designer to visually layout the
application logic, a screen designer to create
the user interface, an integrated device frag-
mentation solution, and tools for building
client-server applications.
NetBeans IDE features
While the NetBeans IDE modular architecture
allows for plug-ins, the scope of features
included provides a full-featured development
environment for all types of Java applications.
All the necessary modules are available and are
tested together, so that NetBeans is ready to
go as soon as it is installed.
The IDE’s basic job is to make the edit-compile-
debug cycle much smoother. For example,
the IDE:
• Identifies coding errors almost immediately
and marks them in the Source Editor.
• Speeds coding with code completion, word
matching, abbreviation expansion, and fix
import features.
• Provides visual navigation aids, such as the
Navigator window and “code folding,” as
well as numerous keyboard navigation short-
cuts designed especially for Java programmers.
netbeans.org
• Can display documentation for a class as you
are typing in the Source Editor.
• Hot links compilation errors in the Output
window, so you can jump straight to the
source.
• Manages package names and references to
other classes. When classes are renamed or
moved around, the IDE identifies places in
the code that are affected by these changes
so you can have the IDE generate the appro-
priate changes to those files.
• Offers many debugging features that provide
a comprehensive view of the way your code
is working as it runs. Set breakpoints, which
persist from session to session, and keep
your code free of clutter.
• Helps integrate other parts of your work-
flow, such as checking sources into and
out of a version control system. NetBeans
supports Concurrent Versions System (CVS),
Project Version Control System (PVCS), and
Visual SourceSafe (VSS) standards, providing
advanced code management features.
• NetBeans performance and memory profiler
augment traditional edit-compile-debug
cycle with performance profiling.
• Besides being an IDE, NetBeans is certified
as a 100% Pure Java open source platform.
Develop plug-in modules for NetBeans IDE,
or create an entirely different application
built on top of the core modules that make
up the platform.
Support for Java 2 Platform
Enterprise Edition
The J2EE technology defines the standard for
developing multitier enterprise applications.
It simplifies enterprise applications by basing
them on standardized, modular components;
providing a complete set of services to those
components; and handling many details of
application behavior automatically, without
complex programming. The J2EE platform is
3 Data Sheet NetBeans™ IDE 4.1 netbeans.org

targeted to developers who want to write

distributed transactional applications for the
enterprise and leverage the speed, security,
and reliability of server-side technology.

NetBeans IDE 4.1 introduces comprehensive

support for the J2EE developer. Advanced
wizards create J2EE components such as Web
applications, servlets, JavaServer Pages™,
enterprise Java Modules, Enterprise JavaBeans
components, and Web services. Also, a complete
runtime environment based on the Java System
Application Server 8.1 is included. It is a J2EE
1.4 compliant application server that is free for
development, deployment, and redistribution,
and offers the ideal IDE companion for devel-
opers who need an integrated environment
where complete J2EE applications can be
developed, built, assembled, deployed,
and debugged.
The NetBeans IDE makes it simple to:
• Create a J2EE application, automatically add
EJB and Web modules, and deploy the
application.
• Create an EJB module and deploy it as a
stand-alone module or packaged in a J2EE
application.
• Create Session Beans, Entity Beans and
Message-Driven Beans.
• Create Entity Beans using an existing data-
base schema.
• Create a Web module, generate calls to EJB
components, and deploy the Web module
either as a stand-alone Web application or
packaged in a J2EE application.
• Create, register, and test Web services.
• Create, browse, and edit database structures
using the Database Explorer.
• Try out the sample applications to learn and
understand J2EE technology.
• Import existing J2EE projects.
• Validate applications using the J2EE Verifier.
• Visually configure EJB components, Web
Services, and Web Components.
Figure 1. The upper half of the window shows an example of the user-friendly, EJB deployment
descriptor editor. The lower half is an example of browsing the Java BluePrints Solutions Catalog.
• Add multiple source folders to an EJB or Web
module, create unit tests as a part of the
project.
Mobility
NetBeans Mobility Pack is a powerful tool for
experienced mobile Java developers as well as
those new to J2ME development, providing a
quick start to development even if you have
only J2SE programming experience.
The NetBeans Mobility Pack may be used for
writing, testing, and debugging applications
for Java technology-enabled mobile devices.
This release introduces drag-and-drop visual
authoring for managing application flow and
screen content, end-to-end mobile application
wizards, and new remote server deployment
options.
NetBeans Mobility Pack also simplifies coding
with templates for MIDlet and MIDlet suites,
plus code completion against J2ME packages.
It solves device fragmentation problems with
editable custom configurations for each device.
You can easily integrate third-party emulators
for a robust testing environment.
NetBeans Mobility Pack Features:
• Visual Mobile Designer — Drag-and-drop
objects into the Flow Designer, Screen
Designer, and Action Editor to automatically
generate Java code for rapid development
and prototyping.
• Wireless Connection Wizard — Easily access
Web services and other server-side data from
MIDlets via servlets.
• New Deployment Options — Upload MIDlets
via WebDAV, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and
Security Control Protocol (SCP) from within
the IDE.
• Project support built on Apache Ant organizes
MIDP source code and project metadata for
easier coding and management.
• Integration with the J2ME Wireless Toolkit 2.2,
providing support for advanced development
4 Data Sheet NetBeans™ IDE 4.1
features such as MIDlet signing, certificate
management, integrated over-the-air (OTA)
emulation, push registry emulation, Wireless
Messaging and Multimedia APIs, and
Wireless Messaging API (WMA) emulation
features for Short Message Service (SMS)
and Cell Broadcast Service (CBS) messages.
• Device fragmentation solution — Develop
applications for multiple devices by adding
and executing device-specific code as config-
urations within a single application.
• Support for Mobile Information Device
Profile (MIDP) localization — Add locale-
specific components to your application.
• Support for J2ME MIDP 2.0 and Connected
Limited Device Configuration (CLDC) 1.1
standards.
• Supports adding third-party emulator
platforms — Test your application on a
variety of target device emulators by
leading manufacturers.
Figure 2. The top window shows one of the emulators running a J2ME application. In the
background, the Visual Mobile Designer is partially visible.
netbeans.org
• Integrated obfuscation and optimization
support — Adds security, improves per-
formance, and optimizes the size of your
application.
• OTA download testing — Emulator simulates
behavior of real mobile devices.
Profiler
The NetBeans Profiler is a full-featured profiling
tool, providing CPU, memory, and thread
profiling functionality for the NetBeans IDE.
Highlights
Innovative approach to profiling:
As the size and complexity of Java applications
grow, keeping their performance at the required
level becomes progressively difficult. The
Profiler uses a unique approach to minimize
profiling overhead, which allows it to provide
accurate results in situations where other
profilers fail.
Tight IDE integration:
We believe that profiling should become a
natural part of the development work cycle,
and many more developers should invest time
in understanding the memory and performance
aspects of their Java applications. Other profil-
ing tools, which are often expensive as well as
difficult to set up and use, fail to address the
needs of the broad developer community. To
address that need, we aim to make profiling an
integrated part of the development workflow,
as easy to use and unobtrusive as possible.
Features
• Low overhead profiling: With NetBeans
Profiler, you can profile just a subset of the
application code — the rest of the code is
not instrumented, so it runs at full speed.
The profiled subset and the type of profiling
(CPU, memory, and so on) can be changed
at any moment during run time.
5 Data Sheet NetBeans™ IDE 4.1
Figure 3. On the left, the Profiling Console provides shortcuts for the most common operations. On
the right, two views of CPU usage are shown — the top starts from the method selected for
profiling, and the bottom is a list of all methods.
• Attaching to running applications: The
profiled application can be started as usual,
without special command line options. You
can still attach and detach the profiler
to/from it at any time. When the profiler is
detached, there is no instrumentation in the
application, and thus no overhead.
• CPU Performance profiling: Profile the entire
application, or select a subset of code based
on one or more root methods. Selective
profiling, based on chosen roots, reduces
performance overhead and helps obtain
accurate results for heavily multithreaded
applications under realistic workloads. The
results, which contain details about only the
selected code, are much easier to analyze
and understand.
• Memory profiling: Only object creation
events can be profiled, which imposes
smaller overhead and allows you to detect
problems with excessive object allocations.
Additionally, liveness profiling registers both
object creation and garbage collection events,
allowing you to see the number, age, alloca-
tion paths, and other characteristics of
objects currently in memory.
netbeans.org
• Memory leak debugging: Memory leaks are
not uncommon with large Java applications.
With most existing tools, it can take hours to
make sure there is really a memory leak, and
identify leaking objects. Our technology can
pinpoint leaking objects immediately, based
on a special pattern of allocations and
reclamations (or lack thereof) that such
objects typically demonstrate.
• Task-based profiling: By definition, profiling
is a complex activity. Our task-based approach
makes it easy by offering several of the most
common tasks, such as standard CPU or
memory profiling, or simple monitoring.
• Threads profiling: Threads and their activity
during application execution can be observed.
Threads profiling offers two views of the
threads: “Threads timeline” which shows
threads activity side-by-side, and “Thread
details” which shows detailed information
about one or more selected threads, including
a list of all state changes in the thread life.
Eclipse Import
To address developer needs in migrating to
NetBeans, an optional module called the Eclipse
Project Importer automatically imports Eclipse
projects into NetBeans as NetBeans projects,
processing Eclipse project metadata and
mapping it directly to a new NetBeans project.
When pointed to an Eclipse workspace, the
NetBeans Eclipse Project Importer automati-
cally detects project dependencies and suggests
migrating of all dependent projects.
6 Data Sheet NetBeans™ IDE 4.1 netbeans.org

NetBeans™ IDE 4.1

System requirements Recommended hardware configuration Learn More
Get the inside story on the trends
Operating system • Solaris™ operating system:
and technologies shaping the future of
NetBeans IDE runs on operating systems that • Processor: 500 MHz Ultra™ 60 work
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• Solaris OS 9, 10 (SPARC® and x86 Platform • Microsoft Windows operating systems:
Editions) • Processor: 780 MHz Intel Pentium III
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 workstation or equivalent

• Java Desktop System 2 • Memory: 512 megabytes

• Mac OS X 10.3 • Disk space: 125 megabytes of free disk

space
Version control systems
• Linux operating system:
• CVS 1.11 • Processor: 800 MHz Intel Pentium III
• PVCS 7.5 workstation or equivalent

• Microsoft VSS 6.0 • Memory: 512 megabytes

• Disk space: 125 megabytes of free disk
Database servers
space
• IBM DB2 8.1
• Oracle 9i
• PointBase 4.2
• Microsoft SQL 2000 SP3
• MySQL 4.x

Application servers

• Sun Java Application Server Platform

Edition, 8.1
• Apache Tomcat 5.5.xx
• JBoss 4.0
• WebSphere 6.0
• WebLogic 9.0

Sun Microsystems, Inc. 4150 Network Circle, Santa Clara, CA 95054 USA Phone 1-650-960-1300 or 1-800-555-9SUN Web sun.com
©2005 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, Solaris, Java, NetBeans, JavaBeans, J2SE, J2ME, J2EE, Ultra, 100% Pure Java, JavaServer Pages, Enterprise JavaBeans, EJB, and JDK are trademarks, registered
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